Flying-machine.



D. M. WILLARD.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 5- I916 2 SHEETS-SHEET -l Patented Oct. 9

V D. M. WILLARD.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-'5. I916.

Patented Oct. 9,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

.5 m k A prairie en,

DANIEL M. WILLARD, on nannnsnrnnn, CALIFORNIA, .AiSSIG'rNOR.015 JNE I-IALF m ALBERT J. MILLS, or BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA. 1

Bri nne-MACHINE.

To aZZwhom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M.']YI.LLAID, a citizen of the United States, resid ng at Bakersfield, in :the county of Kern and State of California, have invented anew and useful I lying-Mach1ne of Which the fOllOWll'lg 1s a specification.

An object of this invention is to facilitate.

controlof the flying machine.

Another object is to effect the control by comparatively simple construction.

Another object is the production of aflying machine having maximum strength relative to its Weight. i

Another object is to facilitate ascension and descension of the machine.

Another object is .to effect ascension and descension of the machine-byaltering the angles of the main supporting surface ;or 1

: 1 of parabolas and are mounted to tilt or rock Wing from tip .to tip thereof. v

Another object is to make provision for steering in all directions entirely at the front of the machine.

Another object is to effect the horizontal steering of the machine at the front :part and to so construct the tail-that unequal air pressures on its sides will operate, unless otherwise counterbalanced, to prevent the tail of the machine from being swung out of its predetermined course by the greater pressure.

Other objects and advantages may appear in the subjo'ined detail description. N

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a flying machine built in accordancewith this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of 1.

Fig. 8 is .a perspective View of the tail.

Fig. lis an enlarged cross section on line indicated by. a2 00 Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation from the Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the head portion of the machine, the main Wing being shown in ascension and descension positions in solid and dotted lines respectively.

Fig. '7 is a perspective detail of the connections between the main Wing and one of the ailerons. Y

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on line indiright of vcated by .m .w Figs. 1 and .5.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented 0011.9,1917.

Application filed January 5, 1916. Serial No. 70,394.

plane craving l, which may be continuous from tip toet p .of the WlIig to form a slug-1e plane,'-o r, as shown-1n the drawl'nga nay be 1n sections, forming. separate and equal planes one on each side of the machine, which actin .unisonto raise and lower 'the head as ill appear hereinafter. There is also provided :a second suppontingsurface or ing ;2 Which may :be in the form of a single rear plane or following plane. The foregoinglconstruction of a forward plane and a following plane is generally known as monoplane and the drawings .embody the invenbut it is understood that-certain features of the invention arenot limited to the monoplane type but could be applicable to the so called biplane (or multipla-ne types.

The Wings 1 2 may be curved in the .form

forward and backward on a longitudinally extending frame 3, the Wing fl being at the head of said frame and the Wing 2 .beingadjacent the tail end of the frame.

The Wings 1, 2 maybe of-difierent sizes if desired, as shown in the drawings, and the Wing 1 has. a forward air-receiving edge a, an air-discharging edge I) and .tip edges 0, d, and the following Wing 2 has an air-receiving edge e, an air-discharging edge f and .tip edges g, h. The leading Wing 1 comprises a frame 4-=of tubular or .other desired constructionand a skin 5011 said frame, Said skin being constructed of suitable material andinthe instance shown being preferably :zthinsheet aluminum. The following-plane 2 comprises a frame 16 of tubular .or other construction and a skin 7 which may be of the same material as the fore Win-g and'is preferably thin sheet aluminum;

Each of the Wings 1, 2 is provided with a transverse, brace comprising anarch-shaped The Wings 1, '2 are bodily movable relativeto the frame 3 forward and backward around axes, so as to tilt the Wings at greater or less angles relative to the frame 3, said axesin this instance coinciding with the ftiion in theform of the so called 'monoplane,

centers from which are constructed front and rear arcuate guides 10, 11 forming portions of the frame 3, the guides 10 being parallel to one another at the head of the frame and the guides 11 being parallel to one another adjacent the tail end of the frame.

The wings 1, 2 are shiftably connected to the guides 10, 11 respectively, and for this purpose the frame members 12, 13 of. the wings 1, 2 immediately over the guides 10, 11 respectively are provided with yokes 11 fastened to said frame members.

Each yoke 1 1 is provided at its lower end with holes 15 to receive a headed pin 16 forming the axis or shaft for a grooved wheel 17. The projecting end of each pin 16 opposite the head end is provided with a washer 18, and is provided with a cotter pin 19 so as to detachably hold the pin in place. lhere is a series of wheels 17 engaging the under side of each front guide 10 and an other series of said wheels engaging the under side of each rear guide 11. These wheels 17 are adapted to run along the guides and thus allow the wings to which they are connected to be shifted forward and backward to different positions of adjustment. To prevent any looseness or rattling between the wings and the frame and to prevent said wings from lowering toward the frame when there is not sufficient air pressure to keep them in raised position, each yoke 141 is provided with a pin 20 to journal a roller 21 adapted to engage the upper side of the guide 10 or 11 as the case may be so as to prevent the wheels 17 from falling'away from the guides.

It is noted that when it is desired to detach the wings from the frame, as in transportation of the machine, the pins 16 are removed from the yokes 1aso that the wheels 17 may be removed, thus allowing the yokes 14: to be raised from the guides 10, 11. K

Means are provided tomove the wings 1,

2 forward and back to change their angles relative to the frame and said means will now be described.

Thefront wing frame 4: is pivoted at 22 to a rearwardly extending furcated arm 23 provided its fork with a bearing 24 for ashaft 25 operated by a hand wheel 26, said shaft turning in another bearing 27 pivoted at 28 to an inverted V-shaped adjustable arm 29 which is pivoted at 80 to brackets 31 of the frame 3. The arm 29 is provided with a detent 32 adapted to engage a notched segment on one of the brackets 31, said detent being normally held in engagement by a spring 34 to hold the arm 29 in adjusted position and being retracted from engagement by a rod 35 operated by a handle 36. It is seen from the foregoing that by moving the shaft 25 forward and backward the leading wing 1 is shifted forward and backward.

The frame 3 is provided with a segment 37 between the brackets 31, and to said segment is pivoted at 38 a lever 39 provided with a detent, spring, operating rod and handle corresponding to the detent 32, spring 84:, rod 35 and handle 36. and indicated by the same reference characters. To the lever 39 is connected an operating line or lines 10 each of which passes forward and is rove around a pulley 11 on the frame, thence passes downward and is rove around a pulley 42 on the frame, thence passes rearward underfront and rear pul leys43, 44 on the frame, thence passes upward and is rove around a pulley 15 on the frame and thence passes to and is attached to the air-discharging edge of the following Movement of the lever 39 back- 0 wing 2. ward will shift the following wing 2 rearward and if said lever is released, said wing will be shifted for ard by reason of the pull of coil springs 46', each fastened at one end to the air-receiving edge e of the wing and each fastened at its opposite end to the frame 3.

The shaft 25 is provided with a pulley or drum 4:7 turned by said shaft and enga ing the intermediate portion of an operating line 48 which passes downward around pub leys 4-9 on the frame, thence extends laterally toward both sides and is rove around pulleys 50 that are mounted on a transverse member 51 of the frame 3, thence passes upward at both sides and has its opposite ends connected to ailerons 52 hinged at 53 to the air discharging er go 6 of the leading wing.

The ailerons 52 are each normally held substantially tangent to the wing at the airdischarging edge 3) by a flat spring 5 1 which is fastened by rivets 55 or equivalent to the upper surface of the wing 1 and which shiftably engages a U-shaped retainer 56 fastened by rivets 57 or equivalent to the upper surface of the aileron. The springs 5f1act to return the ailerons 52 from the positlons to which they may be adjusted by turning of the drum 4:7.

From the foregoing it is seen that when the drum47 is turned in clockwise direction in Fig. S the aileron 52 on the left will be lowered and the operating line will be slackened so that air pressure will raise the aileron on the right somewhat above normal position, and it is also seen that when the hand wheel is turned counter-clockwise the aileron on the right will be lowered and the aileron on the left will. be free to adjust itself to positions determined by the air pressures thereagainst.

Another importantfeature of my invention is the freely pivoted swinging tail 58 which comprises curved side surfaces 59, 60, said surfaces diverging rearwardly from one said frame.

amazes another and :being .connected together :and for-mm gxa wedge-shaped member expanding rearwardly. The edges of the surfaces 5'9,

: diverge(reamvardly. The tai l: 58 tapers to a a thin air-receiving For air-cuttingledge 63, andsaid tail is pivoted forward .of its mid-length, for instance, .onethird .of the distance fromfront to rear more or less to the frame ;3 the pivot F64: Ber-tending vertically above and below the open top and bottom of the tail and v[engaging thestail .end of no operating lines for the reason ,that lateral steering is efiiectedby:movement of the chine' has ascended and is flying in :a straight course, to turn the machine :to one @side or .the other, ;tl 1 e operator :will turn the hand wheel 26 and if it be assumed, #for example, that the operator 'WlSheS -;to ,tunn it) the right ,he will turn the hand wheel clockwise in Fig. 8, thus drawing down the rear edge of ,the left hand aileron 52, thus ica'using the left hand Wing. to bank and, inother words, turning the, machine clockwise about its longitudinal axis. This banking ,or turning in a clockwise direction, as is well known, .causes the machine toturn to the r gh When it is desired to ascend to a level above that at which the machine is flying the operator Will pull backward on -;the operating wheel 26 thus increasing the angle -.of the leading wing 1 relative to-the frame,

and this, as is well known, will cause'thc head of ,the 11130111116130 -r1se andif the. an-

gle of the following ,plane 2 be not increased als0,"the tailof the machine will fQllOW'llllG path of ,travel .of thehead. 'Howeven-if it be desired to ascend quickly ,or without causing the frame of the machine to tilt at too sharp an angle relative to a plane normal to the gravitational pull, the operator will adjustthe lever 39 to-increase the angle-of the following plane 2 relative gtO the frame,

and such adjustment naturally will .cause ascension .of the tail end of the machine, thus making possible to maintain the frame on an even keel while the machine is aspending.

The sa ne is true of descension and, to cause, descending movementof the machine the operator adja sts the Wing -1 or :th Jlg ,2 orward to d crease the angles of said win-gs relative to the frame. N

lam ,aware that in the prior art the angles The tail 58. is. free ;to swing about the axis of {the pivot 64' and requires :of .-p )rtions of the wings 'ihave ibe'ejn changed :to .cause banklng on-one ;s1de or-the 'other and also to obtain braking action andl am also aware that in the prior a'r-t provision has/been made to change the angle of the Wingon one side of the mach-me soas to effectfbanking, but as is clear from the foregoing, Iobtain an enti rejly diiierent elfect by :thechange ofangle of the -wings from tip to tip thereof. In the instance-shown .the change of angle o-f -the' Wings 'is effected by raising and lowering the air receiving edges ,of the Wings and at the -same time lowering and raising the a ir discharging edges of the wings, but'this' result anay fbe obtained "by other "construction than that :shown @and described, though the described construction is at presentpreferred.

7 Former constructor-s. in this art relied .upon comparatively small planes supplementary'g'to "the main supporting p 'lanes for ascending and rle'scendi-ng a'nd manipulation of the :tall wasre'he'd uponfor changiyng lhe' course 0f {the machine laterally, Whereas I this i-IlgVQIItiOH provides for steering "the -.mach i ne mainlv-at the head -t*'hereof, allowing the tail in most instances -to';me rely follow,said tail being-kept behind the head ing' tail.

fiby the' automatic action of the freely swing- Assummg for example, *tha-t a strong ourrent of airstrikes one side of-the ma chine,- for instance; the right hand sidezi-n Fig. 1, it is clear that the excessive pressure, against the :tai l' surface '60 at "that side "will rswmg' the' tarl member v5'8 on its pivot. 64

so as to direct the air-cutting edge 63 of the tall member toward the right or, as it is commonly .te-rmed, into the wind. "This allows the pressure to equalize on athe-tail side surfaces 59, -60 to hold the tail end of themachinevagainst being swung -ou-t of-fits course and ".therebyaltering thecourse of the machine. Thus', the greater theflinequality of i pressures ,aga inst' the oppositesides of the machine, the more the tendency "of the tail of-said machine will fbe tohead into the avindaso as to :tend toovercomeside drift and prevent the machine from being blown out-of the course inwhic'h'the opera-tor hasdirected it.

. it is-believed that the foregoing War ensable- .those skilled; in the art to which it-ap- L pertains to finiake and use the invention; 5 i

i I claim:

- 1. Awflying anachine'comprisjingoa frame, a wing exten'ding on both sidesof the frame, ameans to raise and lower the air-receiving edge of said iwing fromtip to tip thereof :relative :to the frame tolchange the angle of said Wing, ailerons hinged to the rear edge of the wing, springs to hold thefailerons in morma'l position, mea-ns to' depress said ailerons, and a secondfconnected to said frame. 1:" I

2. A flyingmachine comprising a frame, a wing extending on both sides of the frame, means to raise and lower the air-discharging edge of said wing from tip to tip there of relative to the frame to change the angle of said wing, ailerons hinged to the rear edge of the, wing, springs to hold the allerons in normal position,-means to depress said ailerons, and a second wing connected to said frame.

3. A flying machine comprising a frame, a leading wing'extending on both sides of the frame at the head end thereof, means to change the angle of the leading wing from tip to tip thereof to cause a change of altitude of the machine, allerons hinged to the leading wing, means yieldingly holding said ailerons against tilting up and down, means to depress the ailerons, and a following wing at the tail end of said frame.

1. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings extending on both sides of the frame, a freely swinging tail for the frame, and means to change the angles of said wings from tip to tip thereofindependently of one another to cause a change of altitude of the machine.

5. A flying machine comprising a frame, a freely swinging tail for the frame, and front and rear supporting surfaces of independently adjustable angularity relative tothe frame to change the altitude of the machine and at the same time to maintain the frame on an even keel.

6. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings extending on both sides of the frame, said wings being one behind the other and substantially in a common plane, independently operating means to raise and lower the air-receiving edges of said wings from tip to tip thereof relative to said frame, and a freely swinging tail forthe frame.

, 7. A flying machine comprising a frame,

I wings extending on both sides of the frame,

saidwings being one behind the other and substantially in a common plane, independently operating means to raise and lower the air-discharging edges of said wings from tip to tip thereof relative to said frame, and a freely swinging tail for the frame.

8. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings extending on both sides of the frame, said wings being'one behind the other and substantially in a common plane, independently operating means to raise and lower the air-receiving edges of said wings from tip to tip thereof relative to said frame and at the same time to lower and raise the air-discharging edges of said wings from tip to tip thereof relative to said frame, and a freely swinging tail for the frame.

9. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings extending on both sides of the frame, a freely swinging tail for the frame, and

wings extending on both sides of the frame,

a freely swinging tail for the frame, means to raise and lower the air-receiving edges of one Wing and at the same time to lower and raise the air-discharging edges thereof,

and means operative independently ofthe first named means to raise and lower the airreceiving edges of the other wing and at the same time to lower and raise the air-discharging edges thereof.

11. A flying machine comprising a frame,

wings extending on both sides of the frame, allerons hlnged to the air-discharging edge of one of said Wings, a single control member operatively connected to ,one of said wings and to the ailerons, and a second control member operatively connected to the other of said wings. I

12. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings for said frame, and a freely-swinging rearwardly expanding tail pivoted'rearward of its a1r-receiving edge to one end of the frame.

13. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings for said frame, and a freely swinging tail directly operative by unequal air pressures on opposite sides of the machine to tend to prevent the rear end ofthe frame from being swung out of its established course. I

141-. A flying machine comprisinga frame, wings for said frame, and a freely-swinging rearwardly expanding tail pivoted rearward of its air-receiving edge to one end of the frame, said tail having curved side surfaces.

15. A flying machine comprisinga frame, wings for said frame, and a freely-swinging rearwardly expanding tail pivoted rearward of its air-receiving edge to one end of the frame, said tailbeing open at its top and bottom.

16. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings for said frame, and a rearwardly expanding transversely swinging tail pivoted rearward of its air-receiving edge to one end of said frame.

17 A flying machine comprising a frame, wings for said frame, and atail pivoted rearward of its air-receiving edge to one end of said frame, said tail comprising rearwardly diverging side surfaces.

18. A flying machine comprising a frame, Wings for said frame, and a tail pivoted rearward of its air-receiving edge to one end of said frame, said tail comprising rearwardly diverging side surfaces and rearwardly diverging upper and lower edges.

19. A flying machine comprising a frame, means operative at only the head end of the frame to steer the frame from side to side, anda freely swinging rudder for the frame.

independently operative means to move said wings.

21. A flying machine comprising a frame, wings for the frame, ailerons to steer the head end of the frame from side to side, and a freely pivoted tail adapted to swing transversely relative to the frame.

22. A flying machine comprising'a frame, wings extending on both sides of the frame, a freely swinging tail for the frame, means to raise the airreceiving edge of one wing, and means to lower the air receiving edge of the other wing independently of the first named means.

23. A flying machine comprising a frame, Wings extending on both sides of the frame, a freely swinging tail for theframe, means to raise the air discharging edge of one Wing, and means to lower the air discharging edge of the other Wing independently of the first named means.

24. A flying machine comprising a frame,

wings extending on both sides of the frame,

a freely swinging tail for the frame, means to raise the air rece vlng edge of one Wing and to simultaneously low'er'the air discharging edge of said wing, and means to lower the air receiving edge of the other wing and to simultaneously raise the air discharging edge of said other wing independently of the first named means.

25. A flying machine comprising a frame having curved guides, a wingshiftably connected to some of said guides, a second wing shiftably connected to other of said guides, a freely swinging tail for the frame, means to shift the first wing along its guides, and means operative independently of the first named shifting means toshift the second wing along its guides.

Signed at Bakersfield, California, this 29th day of December, 1915. DANIEL M. WILLARD.

Witnesses: v

G. E. ARNOLD, MATTHEW .L. PLATZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

